15. I wonder if the artist

was a highly specialized engraver who was very myopic and astigmatic, like myself.

I enjoy building model kits and one advantage of my myopia/astigmatism is that I can hold small pieces very, very close to my eye and paint them. My field of vision is less than 3.5 inches without glasses or contacts.

That could account for the incredible level of detail. I understand, though I don't know if it's true, that Carl Faberge employed people with severe myopia and astigmatism for creating the level of detail found in some of those eggs he made for the Russian Royal Family.